This invention relates generally to footwear, and more specifically pertains to shoes and the like where the tongue may be reversed, in order to ventilate a shoe and to change the aesthetics, coloration, indicia, or other appearance of the overall footwear.
Numerous styles of footwear, constructed of various components and for achieving multiple purposes, have long existed in the prior art. Most of these types of innovations have been in the area of running or athletic shoes which have enjoyed resurgence in recent years. Various styles or modifications to the shoes, as in their tongue configurations, to make them more comfortable, more resilient, add to the efficiency of the runner or suitable to fashion have been considered in the prior art. Shoes as a class borrow various accessories and modifications from other footwear, such as tongue flaps.
Recent trends have even considered reversing various components of footwear, such as tongues, to alter the aesthetics of, to change the style of, and to improve the appearance of footwear when worn. Modifications to the structure of the shoe itself, such as adding pockets to the side or within the tongue or gusset of the shoe, have been considered in the prior art. For example, the patent to Adamik, U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,060, relates to this type of technology, and its modifications. Then the patent to Benjamin, U.S. Pat. No. 2,049,347, shows a shoe wherein a strap, held by one or more D-Rings, can be turned to reverse the positioning of the strap within the shoe structure. In addition, the patent to Tonkel, U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,321, shows the use of a separable tongue held by Velcro to its vamp, but which must be removed to provide for its turning and to vary the appearance of the shoe. However, shoes have retained their basic form of an upper upon a sole including a tongue over the instep of a foot.
The current invention modifies the tongue and upper of footwear or shoes, particularly athletic shoes. The modifications add further variations in the use of the shoe, enhance its styling, and further enhance the comfort of a foot within the shoe, by providing ventilation to its components particularly the tongue, when structured into the shoe itself.